Solar array guidance needed- newibe

[btrapr]

Well I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time, since I always wanted to mess with alt energy, but did not have a lot $$$ to buy.  Well this company had all of this stuff sitting around and they told me to haul it off, so I did.  It took me over 4 hours to unmount all of the panels from the mounting system, and the batteries weigh around 45# each.

I got the following items:
SIX panels  Siemens SM-60H/ 50watt, 3.15a, rated 15.9v
ONE panel  Sunwise- SW50/ 50w, 3.4a, rated 16.4v
FIVE panels Siemens SR90/ 90w, 5.4a, rated 17v

EIGHT Ameristart 4d-10 batteries (The picture shows a piece of 8 1/2"x11" paper on one of the bateries to show their size) that weigh around 45$ each!  I am getting ready to try and make a Bedini set-up to shock the plates and see if I can bring them back to life!  I am told that these are aorund $250 each NEW, so I am very set of trying to salvage them.

I also got FOUR 100ohm 100 watt wire wound for the dump circuit!

My plan is to make a mount to use my old satellite mounting bracket, and if I am luck get a motor unit to track the sun!  later of course.  I will be sinking a second pole near the first to mount the other half of the panels.

___________My post is to seek advice of an array to get these up and running!_________________
I am still trying to figure out what all it takes to get one up and running!
I have been searching aorund on this AWESOME sitye and several time si come up with a post by WOOFERHOUND

1) I am trying to map out my set-up!  like a GHURD dump!

2) perhaps? one of these intersting items for around $15 (not sure if they will work or how many I will need or how to hook them up)
10 ~ 32V  to 12~35V 100W Boost Power Module
Specification:
Input Voltage:   DC 10~32 V
Output Voltage:  DC 12~35 V ( adjustable, O/p Voltage >I/p Voltage by 2V ) 
Maximum Input Current:  16 A ( >10A  Need cooling )
Maximum output Current:  10 A 
Maximum Power:  150W,  100W Natural cooling 
Efficiency:  94 % ( under input 16V, output 19V 2.5A )
Module Properties:  Non-isolated step-up module (BOOST)
Full Load temperature rise:   45 ℃
Switching Frequency:   100KHz
Output ripple:   2%(max) 20M bandwidth
No-load Current:   Typical 25mA
Load Regulation:   Â± 0.5%
Voltage Regulation rate:  ± 0.5%
Dynamic response speed:  5% 200uS 
Short-circuit Protection :  None
Input Reverse Protection:  None
Operating Temperature:   Industrial (-40 ℃ to +85 ℃)
Size: 65 x 33 x 23.5 mm ( L*W*H )
*for those itnerested in one of these they are on Ebay $15 shipped!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320559221618&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
They have a few other items that might work?

Hopefully this will post my pics!  stillt rying to figure this site out.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n261/btrapr1/DSCN1414.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n261/btrapr1/DSCN1417.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n261/btrapr1/DSCN1416.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n261/btrapr1/DSCN1415.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n261/btrapr1/DSCN1418.jpg

[Rover]

Hi Btrapr

Nice little mixed bag of stuff. Ghurds controller is a dump controller, other words, when voltage hits the set point it activates the dump load to preserver batteries. You actually don't need a dumpl load style controller for strictly solar use. I think you would be better off with  PWM or MPPT style charge controller. Ghurd's dumpload is an excellent idea if you have a wind turbine, since you don't just want to cut the connection with a turbine (bad juju). However, with solar, its fine to just cut them off. With a mppt or pwm controller, you'll also get some regulation fo the charging rate into the batteries, getting a more eficient charge.

[btrapr]

I have also been looking at the DIY treadmill motor windmill set-ups__________

I am looking for what is needed to hook this set-up together!  either TWO seprerate banks and controllers!  or what?

I have been unable to find a good DIY solar charge controller!  I have seen some posts where guys just hook them up...with an overload circuit...

My panels add up to around 50 amps...most controllers are 10-30a... UNLESS I want to drop $200 for a larger one...

I have seen that I think Morning has a 20a that can piggy back other ones.

*Is there a way to use a couple of controllers

[Rover]

You can use a dump style controller in conjuction with other (pwm or mppt) controllers. No need for another bank. As far as the 50 A rated output...ok, your never going to see it... unless you live off planet. More realistic is between 1/3 and 2/3rd of that, when going into batteries. 

Yes the it will work with only a dump style  controller, except you will have no voltage/current control , you will in effect have a 1 stage controller, as opposed to 2 or 3 , with float capabilites, which is one ofthe benefits of solar over turbine (until a decent MPPT turbine controller comes to market)

[Volvo farmer]

What do you plan on doing with the power that you make from this system?

You have enough panels and batteries there that you might want to consider a 24v or 48v system.

Personally, I would not be afraid to go ahead and spend $100-150 or so on a factory charge controller. If you go 24V, a Xantrex C40 will handle everything you listed, though you're going to end up with a spare 90W panel. You'll get three stage charging with temperature compensation, all very nifty things to help batteries last longer.

I have no idea what that $15 ebay thing was or how you plan to use it.

[dnix71]

http://www.ecodirect.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=OutBack-FLEXmax-80  If you stay with 12v and that much panel there isn't much to choose from except the Outback80 that can actually handle the nameplate rating of all your panels. If you double the battery voltage you halve the current, but you are still over nameplate at 33 amps for many of the less expensive mppt's.

You don't want to waste power with a dump load. Excess power is a gift to be used wisely. Plan your heavy use when the sun shines and the batteries are charged and you won't have to run a generator for backup/boosting as much.

I can't find any Google reference for Ameristart or Ameristar batteries, but 4D's are around 200 amp-hours each. A pair of those power the walk-behind pallet jacks we have at work.

[btrapr]

thanks for the heads up!  I am green in this game and have a lot to learn!  I was also thinking about two battery banks seperate controllers...then a circuit box of sorts TWO circuits

I wished I could buy direct from China!  From the looks of the Alibaba website______most of the stuff like charge controller on Ebay came form a buy direct China.  I did not relaize it but there are a lot of broker's setting up deals between China/the World.  BuydirectChina, etc...

here is one site---NOTE item #2 6090A MPPT charge controller!
http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?SearchText=solar+charge+controller&Country=&CatId=100702&IndexArea=product_en&fsb=y
I was unable to cut/paste the specs!

[ghurd]

Great score!

That ebay thing is not going to be of any use that I can see.

I suggest avoiding direct dealings with China.  Tons of 'Gotchas' to make a seeming decent deal on a questionable generic controller end up costing a fortune.

The 100 ohm 100W resistors are not much good for most battery based systems.
A 12V system usually regulates about 14.4V.
14.4 / 100 ohms = 0.144A.  That's only 2W.
All 4 will dump less power than one of my little dump load resistors.

Can set the ghurd controller up for solar without a dump load.
Circuit board is the same.
Difference is the power fets short the solar amps before the blocking diodes.  The solar charging amps never make it to the battery to need dumped.
Since there is no real limit to the quantity of fets the circuit can switch, there is no real limit to the number of panels it can handle.
This shows 3 panels.  12 would be wired the same way (12 fets and 12 blocking diodes in your case, though there are possible variations).


Adding a wind turbine will require a dump load.  Not a problem with a ghurd controller.
The ghurd controller circuit does not care what the fets do, it just turns them On and Off.
Simply add a suitable number of fets and their dump loads to the existing circuit.  Connect the new dump load fet gates to the existing solar fet gates.

I think a ghurd controller may be a decent place to start.
Cheap to get it up and running.
Systems grow and change.  After some evolution a clearer plan evolves, when you can make a more informed decision on what is expected from a fancier controller.

G-

BTW- the P-fet is just a P-fet.  Almost any will work.

[Rover]

Based on your first post, sounds like you unsure of the status of the batteries. That would be the first place I would start. How old are they? have you checked the liquid level, have you tried charging them with a battery charger? what voltage are they at?


If they are dead, then you have some planning to do as far as deciding what size bank and what batteries, and a controller choice will be based on this plan. Buy a decent controller (not the cheapest one from Ebay/China)

I see no reason to create 2 battery banks at this stage.

[wooferhound]

Interesting that my name comes up in your searches. I have a small 80 watt system that I plan on adding a 200 watt wind generator to in the near future. I can recommend the ghurd controller but unless you want to add wind power later, try to find a Solar controller. Great find on your part.